Sheela Marie Padgett was born in Laurel, Mississippi. From the very beginning, her love of art, music, and dance was apparent, and at the age of 14, she was awarded a scholarship to study ballet at North Carolina School of The Arts. At the end of her third year, she was invited to continue her studies at the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York City where she was awarded the Ford Foundation Scholarship. In 1976, she was invited to become a member of the New York City Ballet, where she remained until 1995. During her career, she danced numerous roles in ballets created by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, Robert Lafosse and Dick Tanner. In the summer of 1992 and 1993, she toured throughout Italy, England, and Switzerland with Stars of American Ballet.

After her retirement from dance, Sheela Marie immersed herself in the art of painting and drawing. Her portraits of animals are extremely captivating. Whether its oil on canvas or ink on paper, the attention to detail and extraordinary use of light and shadow are always evident. In what can only be defined as a signature style, her portraits cover as much space on the surface as possible, which creates a bold and dramatic image. Sheela Marie has always held true to the belief that when it comes to such a personal subject as ones pet, it should be bigger than life!

This self-taught artist has worked on many commissions and has sold many of her works. Her paintings now hang in homes across the United States and Canada.

"A couple of years ago I had Sheela Marie Padgett do a drawing of my dog Chaser. The results were extraordinary!!! What I got was not just a drawing but a piece of art I will treasure all my life." John Barrett